Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-14
RESIGNED TO HIS FATE.

i'm the Second Degree and the Slayer of Margaret Ernst Escapes the Gal. lOws-He Preferred Hanging Hut Will Get State Prison For Lffe-His Foster Mother PrOstrated Upon Hearing the Verdfct-He Says He Was Drunk When He Signed the Confession and Attributes His Down. fall to Evil Companions and His Passion For DrInk-Betrayed by a Crook With Many Aliases and Not | by Cora Bell.
 "Guilty of murder in the second degree"
 Henry B. Chamberlain, the slayer of Mar garet Ernst, heard the foreman of the jury
 declare the above verdict in the Superior 1 court room yesterday noon and heaved deep
 sigh of relief. The suspense was over. He
 was saved from the hangman's rope by those | few simple words.
 Judge Stoddard will in all probability sen tence him to incarceration in the State pris- on at Wethersfeld for the rest of his natural life.
 Chamberlain has not been allowed to talk
 to newspaper men from the time of his arrest
 until yesterday afternoon, when COURIER
 reporter through the courtesy of the jail off,
 cials was permitted to interview him. Chamberlain occupies cell No. in the first \ tier of the Whalley avenue jail. In this tier
 are kept all the Superior court prisoners, and
 in the language of the jail deputies it is call-
 ed the ''bound over tier" This tier leads directly from the office and Chamberlain's l cell is in direct view of the officials. Taylor, the convicted mans accomplice in the terri
 ble deed done on May g last, occupies cell | No. 12, further down the tier. | Tba cbo fot tIaa ma | cell by an obliging deputy. When the re-
 porter made himself known Chamberlain
 smiled, shrugged his shoulders and said: "I'm glad to see you. You're the first news
 paper man I've met since my incarceration" I Chamberlain picked up a scrap book in which were clippings from an evening paper. Referring to of the stories he said: "Thats wrong. The paper says act like a professional crook. That's not right. It
 also says that I was weeping. Well, It's I-- lie."
 He told the reporter, speaking calmly and without the slightest trace of excitement, the story of his downfall. In speaking of his ! real mother, Mrs. Bush, he said he never wished to see her." never knew but Mrs. 1 Chamberlain was my real mother. My fos- ter parents love very dearly. They were | the only ones who stuck by me. I always | thought Mrs. Chamberlain was my real | mother until got into this scrape. I went | to live with my foster parents when I was | but year old.
 "During my boyhood I was much petted and allowed to do about as pleased. I got into bad company from living in the neigh borhood where toughs frequently hung out I thought could do better in New York and | against the advice of my foster mother left ! home. worked there about a year as hotel porter and a shipping clerk at times. I came here aoaiD and hunp arOund tha city for awhile.
 ''Say in the COURIER" continued Cham
 berlain, ''that it was not Cora Bell who be- trayed me and that was not spotted by h. spector Byrnes' men from the time I first visited New York. Do not tell lie like some of the other papers have done" Chamberlain then rehearsed the facts re- garding his betrayal.
 'tWhen arrived in New York the second time, "he continued, ''I had $15 in my pocket.
 I worked for awhile and got to drinking. "It was drink that led me to do the crime and | it was drink that made me sign the statement. was drunk when I attached my signature to it.
 'As say got to drinking heavily and frequented Taylor's place where met an old member of the 'Whyo' gang with whom I 1 became quite intimate. We had many talks together and he told me of many experiences he had in doing jobs. He asked me one day if knew where there could be safe job done with money in it.. 1 replied yes, that knew rich old woman in New Haven where we could get some money.
 'sHis name was George Heffron, alias Harry Ellis. It was he who first betrayed me to the officials. AS l afterwards learned he went to Byrnes and was let off @ certain job he had done if he would divulge what he knew about the murder. He having told the inspector he knew about the murder of the ! woman in New Haven, it was through him l that Byrnes learned what train was to be taken. Heffron was to have accompanied I me to New Haven and hear all the details of the case He struck more important job and Taylor volunteered to go.
 'I had been on Spruce street but one time before went there to rob. I never took
 women there as reported by the papers, but
 was told that the widow Ernst lived on
 Spruce street by down town tough whose
 name will make public later on. He took
 me up and showed me the house one night
 when was in the city before going to New
 York. He told me that she could be robbed easily and it wouldn't take much nerve to do the job In half drunken condition, with out money or anyone to care for me, I thought of the words of the New Haven tough about the widow Ernst and I resolved to rob her. Heffron encouraged me on. He told me that he would fix it so as I could meet some noted New York crooks who would help me out.
 "It's all lie about Cora Bell giving me l due. She was made to tell what she did by | Byrnes, by what means, however, I don't | know.
 ''Taylor was made to confess because he was told that had given everything away, and ! as proof that had they showed him what was purported to be my written statement. l He signed it.
 ''Inspector Byrnes furnished me with all the | whisky and cigars that wanted, and from | the very night after the job was done until I | arrived in the jail here I was kept drunk. I | was drunk when signed the statement. i Byrnes told me when I signed that he would | get me 'soff from hanging" Although think | Taylor is a good fellow. enough can't help thinking that if it hadn't been for him I | wouldn't be here now. Although I think had rather be hanged than spend my life in prison am in hopes of getting pardon some day."
 To the reporter that "some day" seemed but a forlorn hope, indeed, for man sen fenced for life. During the entire talk Chamberlain laughed and joked. As the re- porter was leaving the prison he called him back and said:
 ''They are in hurry to get me to prison, | ain't they2 I'll get there by Monday I sup pose, and that will be soon enough. never intended to murder the old woman though, and the stories about my being so desperate are all lies, every one of them.
 Taylor was seen and confirmed Chambers lains story about the man Heffron having first betrayed them.
 The jury were out little over two hours before they brought in verdict yesterday The court room was packed with spectators, chief among whom was Mrs. Chamberlain, the foster mother of the accused, who has been present the entire trial. She shows great affection for the murderer. Chamber lain was the exposure of all eyes. He acted rather nervously as he famed himself with palm leaf fan. Dark lines were under his eyes and he looked very pale. It was shortly after eleven o'clock when the jury were escorted into the court room, when in answer to Clerk Anketell they returned the verdict of murder in the second degree. Mrs. Chamberlain broke down completely as the jury returned the verdict and she sobbed piteously for her erring foster son. She knew full well what it meant-the shutting off of young man in the enjoyment of full strength for the rest of his life. Chamber lain was taken back to the jail by Sheriff Gates. The counsel for the accused felt we'll